Ethno-aesthetics

Ethno-aesthetics is the appreciation of art within its own culture, as discussed by the dialogue of Bains and Ybarra-Frausto. The analysis of ethno-aesthetics is using art to answer multiple questions about the culture of interest, the artist, the climate the piece was made, composition, history of the artist and culture. In the Ethno-Aesthetic Analysis: Jose Guadalupe Posada, discusses many of the questions mentioned above specifically about Posada and his piece, Calavera Revolucionaria. This article covers in this case Posada who grew up during revolutions of Mexico in the late 19th century and made prints for broadsides which are very inexpensive to make and to buy. His works usually were targeted towards his readers who were on the lower spectrum of economic distribution in Mexico. Many of his 20,000 pieces are political or social satire of that period of time, and many of his works also contain the images of the skeletons that modern Mexicans use today in their day of the dead celebration. His influences are contemporary prints of the time in other newspapers, as well as early 19th century Spanish prints, and his iconography is influenced by the native cultures.  Within all of this wealth of information which is what an art historian would most likely use in the interpretation of art, and if needed reconstruction/recreation, and to further understand how and why these pieces of art are so provocative and important. But being so scholarly and objective to the subject it makes it hard to really relate to the artist and the context in which the art was made and viewed, thus skewing some analyses. But this can also takes way from the enjoyment of just admiring and interpretig a piece of art on your own without the analized bias, though a little information known about the artistor piece would be of service.

Both of these papers though discuss sometimes briefly globalization and hybridization ofethno-aesthetics. The hybridization of ethno-aestheics in art is most likely due to the hybridizatons of cultures especially in the modern globalized world where cultural practices and ideas can be spread around the world in hours. This is because art is usually a refelction of culture, and when culture changes so does the art of theat specific culture. Though this hybridization may lose the intimacy of the original culture, it is also a chance for new cultural art to emerge. An example can be seen in with the modern maya religion and art which has taken pieces from catholism and plaved thier religion right on top of it creating mayan gods but christian themes. But also in this curret day of globilization the diversity of religions and languages and cultures are begiining to dwindle and are slowely merging into one culture with regional differences.